Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Wednesday condemned the recent events in Bahawalnagar, where he alleged that powerful individuals not only violated the law but also sought impunity.
The Bahawalnagar incident, which garnered widespread attention after videos depicting individuals in army uniforms purportedly assaulting police officials circulated on social media, sparked outrage among citizens and journalists alike. Addressing the events on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement, emphasising that prompt action was taken to address as well as resolve the matter collaboratively between the military and police authorities.
ISPR regretted that certain elements with ulterior motives exploited the situation to propagate divisive narratives on social media, aiming to sow discord between state institutions and government bodies. The Punjab Police also denounced what they termed as “false propaganda” surrounding the incident on various social media platforms.
Later, senior officers from both institutions mediated a peace agreement between the police and military personnel.
In a video of the occasion, officers from both sides can be seen chanting slogans in support of the Pakistan Army and Punjab Police in the presence of their respective superiors. Addressing the media at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Imran remarked that the treatment meted out to Punjab Police officials in Bahawalnagar was akin to that of slaves rather than brothers. He lamented the prevailing state of affairs, attributing it to what he termed as the “law of the jungle” prevailing in the country. Khan cautioned against acquiring loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), predicting a new wave of inflation, and highlighted the risks to the economy and the exacerbation of poverty due to a dearth of investment.
He stressed that the country’s governance lacked adherence to the Constitution, rule of law, or democracy, asserting that stability in the economy and currency cannot be achieved through loans. Khan warned that IMF loans would unleash inflation, disproportionately affecting the salaried and impoverished segments of society. Moreover, he underscored that the dearth of investment would escalate debt and poverty, imperilling the country’s future. The former prime minister lamented that over the past 18 months, Pakistanis had made substantial investments in Dubai, citing this as indicative of the prevailing state of affairs within the country.
